From an unusual perspective - under water - the coin shows the cold and vastness of the polar regions in three different motifs: A leopard seal dives into the stillness of the ocean on the circular stroke of the purple polymer. The iceberg shows only its tip and hides the huge mass beneath the surface. The land mass with the crumbling glacier completes the picture. The winning coin by artist Natalie Tekampe from Egenhofen reminds the viewer of the beauty of this harsh, wild nature, but also of its great danger.
Climate change is having a particularly strong impact in the Arctic and Antarctic: the ice is melting, at the South Pole even six times as fast as in the 1980s. Calving, i.e. the breaking off of large masses of ice from glaciers, explains around half of the current ice loss. The other half of the ice loss is also taking place at the North Pole: the ice on the surface of Greenland is melting and flowing away. This is an important signal for humanity to take action and resolutely counteract the climate crisis.
The region consists mainly of icy deserts, with less than ten per cent of the soil covered in vegetation. Only a few plants can survive under the climatic conditions. Compared to other climate zones, there are also not many animal species that can survive in this inhospitable environment. Most are dependent on the sea or live entirely in cold water. These include seals, leopard seals and elephant seals, but (at the North Pole) also the polar bear, which hunts seals. There are also a large number of birds that feed from the sea, such as gulls, cormorants and puffins. The polar waters are home to many species of whales and fish. All these animals are survival artists that have adapted perfectly to the difficult conditions of the polar zones.
The ‘Polar Zone’ coin is therefore also a reminder of the need to protect these creatures - and our entire planet.
